KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Aaron Reutzel topped another amazing feature at Knoxville Raceway Saturday on Vermeer/Marion County Fair Night.
The Clute, Texas native not only claimed the $6,000 top prize for his Leighton State Bank 410 win aboard the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87, but he also took a half beef home.
After claiming his first victory last week, J.J. Hickle won for the second week in a row in the Randall Roofing 360’s and claimed a half hog. J Kinder stayed perfect in the Pro Sprints class, winning his seventh main event of the year, the 20th of his career here, and a quarter hog.
Rees Moran led early in the 25-lap 410 feature, ahead of Ryan Timms, Brian Brown, Justin Henderson and Jace Park. Two laps in, JJ Hickle came to a stop and exited, bringing the only caution of the event.
Reutzel jumped from sixth to fourth on the restart, with Park following him in fifth. On lap seven, Reutzel shot by Brown for third.
Austin McCarl, who started 12th, made his way into the top five on lap ten, getting by Park. The next circuit, he drove under Brown for fourth.
Up front, Timms was pressuring Moran for the lead, and briefly moved in front on lap 13, but Moran carried momentum back by. Park worked by Brown into the top five on lap 16.
Timms worked by Moran in traffic with seven to go, while McCarl and Reutzel went back and forth for the third spot. On lap 19, Reutzel took the spot for good and then slid by Moran to take second with five to go.
McCarl worked by Moran onto the podium on lap 21. After Timms spun his wheels a bit in the middle of turn four, Reutzel slid by him in turn one on lap 22, to take the lead for good and win his 13th 410 feature here.
Timms followed in second, ahead of McCarl, Park and Moran.
“I’m even more excited now,” said Reutzel when reminded about his half beef. “I think the last cow we just got done with maybe last year. I get to restock the freezer now. I’m super-pumped. I wanted to make sure to get away from (Timms) as fast as I could. We were pretty good tonight. It was a handful getting off the corners. I thought it was just me, but I watched (Timms) and (Moran) and everyone. It was giving everyone problems. I’m worn out. I had to manhandle that car. Coming from ninth…that’s hard to do. Those extra five laps definitely made the difference.”
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 87, Aaron Reutzel (9); 2. 10, Ryan Timms (2); 3. 88W, Austin McCarl (12); 4. 28, Jace Park (6); 5. 45X, Rees Moran (1); 6. 21, Brian Brown (3); 7. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (11); 8. 26, Justin Peck (8); 9. 25, Jy Corbet (14); 10. 9R, Chase Randall (7); 11. 11, Justin Henderson (5); 12. 27, Carson McCarl (16); 13. 19, Kaleb Johnson (4); 14. 1K, Kelby Watt (24); 15. 9P, Daison Pursley (18); 16. 1TAZ, Tasker Phillips (13); 17. 1X, Scott Bogucki (21); 18. 44, Chris Martin (20); 19. 2K, Lynton Jeffrey (10); 20. 22, Riley Goodno (22); 21. 40, Clint Garner (23); 22. 3P, Sawyer Phillips (15); 23. 121, RJ Johnson (19); 24. 2M, JJ Hickle (17).
